AMBASSADOR'S MAY 22 MEETING WITH HUMAN RIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 005427

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL RS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MAY 22 MEETING WITH HUMAN RIGHTS
OMBUDSMAN LUKIN

REF: MOSCOW 5377

Classified By: Ambassador William J. Burns, for reasons 1.4 (B & D).


1. (U) This is an action request - see paragraph 7.


2. (C) SUMMARY. Ambassador met May 22 with Human Rights
Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin, who will visit New York and
Washington May 23-26 (reftel). Lukin said President Putin
had encouraged him to visit the U.S. to expand the bilateral
dialogue on human rights. On other issues, he said that his
office's recently released human rights report had been
relatively well received so far in Russia and that it was too
soon to tell about implementation of the NGO law. Lukin is a
relatively fair observer of Russia's human rights situation,
and we recommend that Department assist him to the extent
possible in getting high-level appointments during his trip.
END SUMMARY.
.
LUKIN'S U.S. MEETINGS
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3. (C) Lukin said he looked forward to his May 23-26 visit to
Washington and New York. President Putin, as well as
Presidential Aide Sergey Prikhodko and Security Council head
Igor Ivanov, had encouraged him to take that trip even though
the atmosphere might be difficult. Well acquainted with
Washington from his tenure as ambassador in the early 1990s,
Lukin hoped to meet with many contacts from the USG,
Congress, think tanks, and the media. Thus far, few meetings
had been confirmed, Lukin continued, and he asked for the
Department's help. In Washington, Lukin hoped to meet with
Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rice, Deputy Secretary
Zoellick, NSA Stephen Hadley, House Speaker Hastert, and
Senators Lugar, Obama, Lieberman, Biden, and Hagel, among
others. In New York, he said he hoped to meet with former
President Bill Clinton, Henry Kissinger, and Rabbi Arthur
Schneier.


4. (C) Lukin said he saw the trip as especially important
given the current difficult mood in both Moscow and
Washington. Lukin said that Russia was trying to maintain a
balance between a strong government and a solid base for
building democracy. He compared the situation in Russia in
the 1990s with the period in U.S. history that was replete
with corruption, back-room deals, and robber-barons. He said
Russia did not want to return to such chaos. On the other
hand, there are real human rights and other political and
social problems in Russia right now that must be addressed.



5. (C) Lukin said he wanted to make the trip to help minimize
misunderstanding and increase the bilateral dialogue. He
mentioned the interest he raised before with Washington
interlocutors to create a more structured dialogue regarding
human rights issues. The Ambassador responded that there was
definite interest in Washington about the idea and that
contacts in Washington were looking forward to developing the
idea with him.
.
REACTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT AND NGO LAW
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6. (C) Lukin said reaction to his office's annual human
rights report had been good so far -- no one said it was too
critical or not critical enough of the current situation in
Russia. He said the report aimed for a calm, balanced tone
but also one that would be critical of human rights abuses.
In terms of the NGO law, he said the situation was quiet and
that only one incident -- a court case against the Union of
Immigrants, whose head is a member of his office's Expert
Council -- had raised concerns so far. Lukin said he had
tried to intervene on behalf of that NGO with the Justice
Ministry but was told it was too late in the process.
Ministry officials had assured him, however, that the outcome
would not harm the NGO. As it subsequently turned out, the
case was dismissed by the court. He said he did not know how
strong a precedent the case would set, but insisted the NGO
law was no worse than similar laws in Western countries. He
said it was not a good idea to raise the alarm too often when
nothing has happened and cited the example of "the boy who
cried wolf." Lukin offered to discuss the NGO law during his
meetings in the U.S. He also repeated his determination to
keep a careful eye on implementation of the NGO law.


7. (C) Action request: As reftel noted, Lukin has been a fair
observer of the human rights situation in Russia and an
excellent interlocutor. We recommend that the Department do
its best to arrange the meetings he has requested.
BURNS